DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
The amendment submitted on 01/03/2026 has been received and considered by the examiner. Claims 1, 17, 19-21, 23, 25-26, and 28 were amended, claims 18, 22, 27, and 30-33 were cancelled, and claims 34-36 were newly added. All uncancelled claims remain pending.
The IDS document submitted on 12/23/2025 has been received and considered by the examiner.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Response to Arguments
The applicant attempts to differentiate the claimed invention from Lai on pages 13-14 of their remarks, arguing that “amended Claim 1 recites that a response message includes ‘wherein the response message includes information indicating that a user plane associated with the first TMGI is not established based on the indication information’ whereas what is mentioned in Ling is merely that ‘NG-RAN will not provide its N3mb DL Tunnel Info to AMF’, which means that ‘N3mb DL Tunnel Info is not transmitted from the NG-RAN to the AMF’. That is, Ling does not disclose that a response message includes ‘information indicating that a user plane associated with the first TMGI is not established’ [emphasis in original]” (Applicant Remarks, p. 13-14)
However, the examiner disagrees with the applicant’s conclusion that Ling’s disclosure of a “NG-RAN ... not provid[ing] its N3mb DL Tunnel Info to AMF” does not fit the broadest reasonable interpretation of “information indicating that a user plane ... is not established”. On the contrary, the presence of other information and the conspicuous absence of “N3mb DL Tunnel Info” communicates the failure to establish a user plane session, meaning Ling’s teachings fit the broadest reasonable interpretation of this contested limitation.
This same technical feature is also described in Fig. 6.7.3.3-1 and the accompanying description in non-patent literature 3GPP TS23.700-47, cited in the IDS filed on 12/23/2025.
In view of the foregoing facts, the rejection of the contested limitations based on Ling is properly maintained.
The applicant’s other arguments with respect to the pending claims have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1, 17, 19-21, 23-26, 28-29, and 34-36 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dai et al. (US 2024/0236619 A1, hereinafter “Dai”) in view of Ling et al. (US 2025/0098029 A1, hereinafter “Ling”).
As to Claim 1 and 25:
Dai describes methods for a distributed unit and a base station to establish a multicast connection.
Specifically, Dai teaches:
A distributed unit (DU) of a base station in a communication system
Fig. 8 in Dai and the accompanying description in paragraphs 0067-0068 in Dai describe setting up a MBS session involving a DU.
Receiving, from a central unit (CU) of the base station, a first request message to request broadcast context establishment associated with a multicast and broadcast service (MBS)
In describing step 801 of Fig. 8, Dai states “the CU may transmit the bearer context ID in a bearer context setup request message to the DU” for “an MBS session” (Dai, 0067).
The first request message includes a first temporary mobile group identifier (TMGI) and indication information
Paragraph 0067 of Dai states the setup request message may include “a temporary mobile group identity (TMGI)” and “an MBS session ID” (Dai, 0067).
Establishing a broadcast MBS session context corresponding to the first TMGI
Dai states that a DU can respond to a “bearer context setup request message” with “an MBS session ID”, confirming the creation of that MBS session context (Dai, 0067).
Transmitting, to the CU, a response message corresponding to the broadcast MBS session context being established
Dai states that a DU can respond to a “bearer context setup request message” with “an MBS session ID”, confirming the creation of that MBS session context (Dai, 0067).
Dai does not explicitly disclose:
The response message includes information indicating that a user plane associated with the first TMGI is not established based on the indication information
However, Ling does describe a method to reuse an existing MBS session instead of establishing a new one if a large number of MBS sessions have already been established.
Specifically, Ling teaches:
The response message includes information indicating that a user plane associated with the first TMGI is not established based on the indication information
Fig. 1G in Ling shows a “N2 message Response” which contains “N3mb DL Tunnel info” for “the broadcast MBS session which is created first”, indicating that a new user plane was not established for a new TMGI (Ling 0290-0292, 0295).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply Ling’s practice of reusing an existing user plane context into the scenario where a central unit needs to communicate with a distributed unit described in Dai. A distributed unit and a central unit can also benefit from reusing an existing user plane context.
Claim 25 encompasses substantially the same subject matter as Claim 1 in the form of an apparatus claim that additionally requires:
A transceiver; and a processor coupled with the transceiver and configured
Fig. 11 in Dai shows a “processor 1108” connected to “transmitting circuitry 1106”.
As to Claim 17 and 26:
Dai teaches:
Receiving, from the CU, a ... request message to request broadcast context establishment associated with the MBS
In describing step 801 of Fig. 8, Dai states “the CU may transmit the bearer context ID in a bearer context setup request message to the DU” for “an MBS session” (Dai, 0067).
Dai does not explicitly disclose:
Receiving ... a second request message to request broadcast context establishment associated with the MBS
The second request message includes the second TMGI and the indication information
The second TMGI is identified as associated with the first TMGI based on the indication information
However, Ling does teach:
Receiving ... a second request message to request broadcast context establishment associated with the MBS
Fig. 1G in Ling and its accompanying description depicts a “N2 message Request” for a “MBS service area” (Ling, 0263).
The second request message includes the second TMGI and the indication information
Fig. 1G in Ling and its accompanying description state the “N2 message Request” has an “associated TMGI” associated with “the first allocated TMGI” (Ling, 0263).
The second TMGI is identified as associated with the first TMGI based on the indication information
Fig. 1G in Ling describes “utiliz[ing] the first allocated TMGI to be the identifier to associate broadcast MBS sessions from different CNs” (Ling, 0263).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply Ling’s practice of reusing an existing user plane context into the scenario where a central unit needs to communicate with a distributed unit described in Dai. A distributed unit and a central unit can also benefit from reusing an existing user plane context.
Claim 26 contains substantially the same subject matter as Claim 17 in the form of an apparatus claim.
As to Claim 19 and 28:
Dai does not explicitly disclose:
The indication information corresponds to network resource sharing being possible for a first broadcast MBS session corresponding to the first TMGI and a second broadcast MBS session corresponding to the second TMGI
However, Ling does teach:
The indication information corresponds to network resource sharing being possible for a first broadcast MBS session corresponding to the first TMGI and a second broadcast MBS session corresponding to the second TMGI
Ling describes an “associated TMGI” for “the relevant TMGIs whose broadcast sessions are used to deliver the same content”, indicating the sessions can share resources (Ling 0290-0292, 0295).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply Ling’s practice of reusing an existing user plane context into the scenario where a central unit needs to communicate with a distributed unit described in Dai. A distributed unit and a central unit can also benefit from reusing an existing user plane context.
Claim 28 contains substantially the same subject matter as Claim 19 in the form of an apparatus claim.
As to Claim 20, 24, 29, and 36:
Dai teaches:
The response message further includes an MBS radio bearer (MRB) identifier associated with the first TMGI
Paragraph 0067 of Dai states that “the bearer context setup request message” from “the DU” may include “an ID of a RB” along with “a temporary mobile group identity (TMGI)” (Dai, 0067). Table 1 of Dai further clarifies that the “ID of a RB” is a “MRB ID” in the DU’s response to set up a user context for a tunnel.
Claim 24 encompasses the same subject matter as Claim 20 from the perspective of the CU.
Claim 29 encompasses the same subject matter as Claim 20 in the form of an apparatus claim.
Claim 36 encompasses the same subject matter as Claim 20 from the perspective of the CU and in the form of an apparatus claim.
As to Claim 21 and 34:
Dai teaches:
A central unit (CU) of a base station in a communication system
Fig. 8 in Dai and the accompanying description in paragraphs 0067-0068 in Dai describe setting up a MBS session involving a DU.
Transmitting, to a distributed unit (DU) of the base station, a first request message to request broadcast context establishment associated with a multicast and broadcast service (MBS)
In describing step 801 of Fig. 8, Dai states “the CU may transmit the bearer context ID in a bearer context setup request message to the DU” for “an MBS session” (Dai, 0067).
The first request message includes a first temporary mobile group identifier (TMGI) and indication information
Paragraph 0067 of Dai states the setup request message may include “a temporary mobile group identity (TMGI)” and “an MBS session ID” (Dai, 0067).
Receiving, from the DU, a response message
Dai states that a DU can respond to a “bearer context setup request message” with “an MBS session ID”, confirming the creation of that MBS session context (Dai, 0067).
Identifying, based on the response message, that a broadcast MBS session context corresponding to the first TMGI is established
Dai states that a DU can respond to a “bearer context setup request message” with “an MBS session ID” and “a temporary mobile group identity (TMGI)”, confirming the creation of that MBS session context for that TMGI (Dai, 0067).
Dai does not explicitly disclose:
The response message includes information indicating that a user plane associated with the first TMGI is not established based on the indication information
The user plane being not established is associated with the indication information
However, Ling does describe a method to reuse an existing MBS session instead of establishing a new one if a large number of MBS sessions have already been established.
Specifically, Ling teaches:
The response message includes information indicating that a user plane associated with the first TMGI is not established
Fig. 1G in Ling shows a “N2 message Response” which contains “N3mb DL Tunnel info” for “the broadcast MBS session which is created first”, indicating that a new user plane was not established for a new TMGI (Ling 0290-0292, 0295).
The user plane being not established is associated with the indication information
Fig. 1G and its accompanying description state that “N3mb DL Tunnel info” is provided for “the broadcast MBS session which is created first”, meaning the established tunnel is associated with a first MBS ID and no tunnel is created for the other MBS ID.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply Ling’s practice of reusing an existing user plane context into the scenario where a central unit needs to communicate with a distributed unit described in Dai. A distributed unit and a central unit can also benefit from reusing an existing user plane context.
Claim 34 encompasses substantially the same subject matter as Claim 1 in the form of an apparatus claim that additionally requires:
A transceiver; and a processor coupled with the transceiver and configured
Fig. 11 in Dai shows a “processor 1108” connected to “transmitting circuitry 1106”.
As to Claim 23 and 35:
Dai does not explicitly disclose:
The response message including the information corresponds to network resource sharing being possible for a first broadcast MBS session corresponding to the first TMGI and a second broadcast MBS session corresponding to a second TMGI
The second TMGI is identified as associated with the first TMGI based on the indication information
However, Ling does teach:
The response message including the information corresponds to network resource sharing being possible for a first broadcast MBS session corresponding to the first TMGI and a second broadcast MBS session corresponding to a second TMGI
Ling describes an “associated TMGI” for “the relevant TMGIs whose broadcast sessions are used to deliver the same content”, indicating the sessions can share resources (Ling 0290-0292, 0295).
The second TMGI is identified as associated with the first TMGI based on the indication information
Ling describes an “associated TMGI” for “the relevant TMGIs whose broadcast sessions are used to deliver the same content”, indicating the sessions can share resources (Ling 0290-0292, 0295).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply Ling’s practice of reusing an existing user plane context into the scenario where a central unit needs to communicate with a distributed unit described in Dai. A distributed unit and a central unit can also benefit from reusing an existing user plane context.
Claim 35 contains substantially the same subject matter as Claim 23 in the form of an apparatus claim.
Conclusion
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/B.P.W./Examiner, Art Unit 2477
/CHIRAG G SHAH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2477